But no one was joking earlier in the morning, as the Associated Press reports the 72-year-old NBC correspondent was hospitalized in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he's been keeping a hectic schedule at the Democratic National Convention. Last week, he also had several on-air appearances at the GOP Convention.

The network also weighed in on Brokaw's condition, saying that he was feeling "lightheaded," and as a precaution they took him to the Charlotte-area hospital.

Earlier Thursday, the AP cited the network as saying he was "being evaluated" and in "good spirits."

The Mayo Clinic reports that, while no studies have demonstrated problems so severe in older people as to limit the use of zolpidem (Ambien is a brand name), it notes that "confusion, dizziness and falling are more likely to occur in the elderly, who are usually more sensitive than younger adults to the effects of zolpidem.